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Go Inside Opening Night of ROCKTOPIA on Broadway!
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Nov 3, 2022
Broadway has turned up the volume! Last night at the Broadway Theatre, Rocktopia officially opened. An explosive musical concert event that fuses the most iconic 20th-century rock with world-renowned classical masterpieces,ROCKTOPIA features the works of musical innovators across centuries-including Journey, Mozart, Queen, Beethoven, Aerosmith, Handel, Led Zeppelin, Tchaikovsky, U2, Heart, Puccini, The Who and more-performed by an elite lineup of vocalists, a five-piece rock band, a thirty-person choir, and a twenty-piece orchestra. Rocktopia celebrates its opening night on Broadway tomorrow,Tuesday, March 27, running six weeks only, through April 29, 2018.
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0:00
Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
0:02
Rocktopia has come to the Broadway Theatre. It's the melding of rock and roll and classical music
0:07
And he welcomes back to Broadway, Rob Evan and Tony Vincent. And we're here on opening night
0:13
You know, growing up, being classically trained and singing opera, but then, you know, growing up and being, you know
0:18
wanting to be in a rock band and singing 80s music, because, you know, I'm that old
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I mean, I got my Broadway debut 25 years ago in Les Mis, So this was kind of an evolution of my life and then the collaborators that joined us
0:34
and then finding this commonality between the masters of classical music with the gods of rock
0:41
And that's what we did. You know, this music, it gives life to people
0:46
The exchange with the audience and what we're doing on stage, it's one of those really special opportunities
0:52
Well, I mean, you can't deny that we're singing some of the most iconic songs that have ever been written
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And when you do that, I mean, it meets people exactly where they are
1:02
People grew up on this kind of music, no matter what the demographic is, whether it's a Beatles tune or an Elton John tune or an Aerosmith song
1:09
It's like this is the life that we sort of grew up on, all of us
1:13
The songs you sing are so iconic I mean the ones you made famous What it like living in these songs Well some of them are interesting because like Kashmir from Led Zeppelin the way they doing it is so different than Led Zeppelin
1:29
So you just keep waiting for that. And then when it finally comes, you're like, ah
1:35
But they did a great job with the arrangements. And I don't know, man. It's just it's a lot of fun
1:41
It's super fun for me to do something different. And then I get so many breaks
1:45
I got to do five songs, man. I'm used to doing like 25 songs
1:49
So it's fun to get to watch other people work. It's your Broadway debut. What was today like for you
1:55
It was calm but surreal all in the same breath. I kind of couldn't believe that it was actually happening
2:01
But once I walked on stage, I really just tried to soak it all in. I lived every moment
2:05
I was just living my life up there. It was amazing. What's it like being a part of Rocktopia
2:10
It's truly a wonderful experience. I mean, everyone is so incredibly talented. The music speaks for itself. It's so beautiful. And the fusion is so original and just inspiring. And so it's just, it's a wonderful experience. It really is
2:22
It's been a completely surreal experience. I've been in this city for 15 years, walking down Broadway, seeing all the lights, and
2:30
that I get to be a part of this community now is absolutely amazing I pinching myself I just so happy and I love this show This is the perfect show for me to debut with and I just thrilled for everybody Because this is such a switch You from the incredible opera world
2:46
and now you've merged into the rock world, and now you're both on Broadway. Exactly. Actually, I wouldn't have it any other way
2:53
The way that Rob and Randy created this show, it's for somebody like me who grew up listening to rock and pop and all that stuff
3:00
I happen to become an opera singer, and now that I get to fuse the two together, I'm like, let's do this
3:05
What are you enjoying the most about being a part of Rocktopia and how cool this show is
3:09
I think I'm just, what I enjoy the most is the different dynamics of all of the performers in it
3:14
We're all different. We all have our own lane, and we just, we're masters at those lanes
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And I really enjoy looking at each and every one of us perform every night. It's magical
3:23
And then when you combine together? It's so good. I especially love when we're all together
3:28
I love Bohemian Rhapsody at the end. And I love doing Don't Stop Believing at the end
3:33
So it's really special when we all come together. What an occasion, you know
3:37
There's a lot of us that it's our Broadway debut. And Rocktopia is such a cool show, you know
3:43
And there's just so many different styles in it. And I just absolutely love playing all the music in it
3:49
It's incredible. You have a big fan base too because you created another magical show Tell our audience what show that was Yes yes I was one of the founding members of Celtic Woman so I have the best fans in the world they great followers and they coming to Rocktopia as well and it just been
4:07
amazing what a journey it's been fantastic it's fun because everybody's attitude is amazing we all seem to have the same sort of feeling about the
4:14
pieces that have been written plus also we all have the same background in terms
4:18
of like you know what music we like and stuff and there's no like there's no
4:22
people just like oh you know like stuff about this or that you know it's like just let's go out
4:27
there and have fun and make people happy. I was thrilled with the response from the audience
4:32
thrilled that it was packed thrilled that all the previews were packed I thought all the singers
4:36
sounded great the band sounded wonderful I was really proud of the orchestra proud of the chorus
4:41
the Yiddish word is kvelling I'm kvelling I'm glowing. What have you enjoyed the most about
4:47
putting this whole show together and working on this? I guess it would be the collaboration with
4:52
the individual artists, the give and take, you know, because, I mean, I crafted all the charts
4:57
but that was just the beginning. Then we start the conversation about who's going to do what
5:02
and, you know, it really sounds better if you take this, or it really sounds better if you take that
5:06
you know, and things like that. So the whole collaborative process with the members of the
5:10
band, with the singers, it's just been an absolute joy from day one
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